I’ve had the pleasure of sharing more than 100 trail stories with RTC members over the years—and have been awed, inspired and impressed by the tireless work of trail advocates and volunteers too many times to count. Below are just a few of these—and I can’t wait to discover more.

It’s a heartwarming sight, watching a new rider roll down the trail, a slow grin spreading across his or her face—experiencing that sweet mixture of freedom, independence and pride. It’s an image that Donny Green, director of a youth bike camp in Rhode Island, has seen many times.

The federal TIGER program has funded more than $340 million in projects for trails, walking and biking to date—making it a powerful resource for those who want to create multimodal transportation choices in their communities for those who cannot or choose not to drive. Through the leveraging of additional federal, state, local and even private philanthropic sources, the highly competitive program (which also funds highway, freight rail, transit and maritime projects) promotes interplay between all levels of government and the private sector and strikes a good deal for federal transportation investments.

For three decades, we have served as the national voice for trails, establishing a movement and setting the precedent that rail-trails are need-to-have community assets. As we build momentum, it’s a great time to pause and reflect on our achievements—and those of the rail-trail movement—summarized in RTC’s recently released 2016 Annual Report.

Recent developments with the Klingle corridor show how sustainably designed trail systems can work to solve transportation and environmental issues while benefiting the environment and surrounding community.

For Women’s History Month, we honor the visionary women who have made extraordinary impacts in their own communities and for the nation. In some cases, their legacy lives on in the names of trails that are used and loved by communities. Here are just 10 to inspire you.

Taylor on the chainless bicycle on which he won the world championship and broke world records in 1899. Uncredited photo, Taylor scrapbook. | Courtesy Major Taylor Association, Inc.

Around the turn of the 20th century, bicycle racing dominated America’s sporting scene, with top cyclists commanding the same media attention that A-list Hollywood celebrities enjoy today. As with other mainstream sports in the U.S., professional bicycle racing was generally understood to be for white competitors only, but in the late 1890s, an African-American dynamo exploded onto the scene, racing at record-breaking speeds that couldn’t be ignored. Today, Marshall “Major” Taylor’s legacy lives on in cycling clubs across the U.S. as well as a popular rail-trail in Chicago, his final resting place.

A look back at RTC President Keith Laughlin's resolution to walk 2,000 miles in 2016 | Photo by Brittni Geibel

Last December, I made an ambitious New Year’s resolution: In 2016 I would walk 2,000 miles on an “imaginary trail.” I made this resolution publicly with trepidation, knowing that there were numerous reasons that could cause me to humiliate myself by failing to walk an average of 5.5 miles a day, seven days a week for an entire year. But there was no reason for all that angst. I’m proud to report that I beat my goal and will finish the year with about 2,200 miles logged on my Fitbit. And you know what? It really wasn’t that hard. Here's how I did it.

More than 22,000 miles of rail-trails—and growing—crisscross the country, leaving stronger, healthier communities in their wake. This movement grew from the ideas and sweat equity of ordinary people who championed trails and their benefits to all who would listen (and many who would not). Their triumphs laid the groundwork for a future where trails are at the heart of thriving communities. Their passion was catching, motivating thousands to get involved and make a difference for trails.

A nostalgic image of former Congressman Tom Petri biking with his daughter Alexandra (now a columnist with the Washington Post) and wife Ann (DeDe) Petri | Photo courtesy Tom Petri

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is pleased to name former U.S. Congressman Tom Petri as the 2016 Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champion in recognition of his decades of support for rail-trails and active transportation infrastructure.

Trail's End Monument in Sedalia, 35 miles east of the Katy Trail's western end in Clinton, celebrating Sedalia's history as the first "cow town" | Photo by Danielle Taylor

Missouri’s nickname—the “Show Me State”—reflects its residents’ prudent tendency to question unsubstantiated claims, so when early proponents of the Katy Trail began advocating for its creation in the mid-1980s, it was only natural that their assertions of increased tourism and economic prosperity met with a few skeptics. However, the trail has proved its worth several times over in the quarter-century since it opened, and it now supports more than 400,000 recreational users each year as well as dozens of communities and hundreds of small businesses statewide.

Bobby Whittaker, president of Ferry County Rail Trail Partners, with 770-foot trestle over Curlew Lake in background | Photo by Rich Landers

It may be a no-brainer that Seattle-born Bobby Whittaker has always loved the outdoors, having been raised by the first American to summit Mt. Everest. It was the city’s music scene, however, that led him to a rewarding 25-year career, first with Sub Pop Records, and then as a manager and tour manager with iconic bands including Mudhoney and R.E.M. A decade ago, Whittaker read about a former rail line in rural Ferry County, Washington—a place he’d long been going to “slow down.” Now trail advocates in Ferry County are on their way to completing the 25-mile “rock n’ roll” rail-trail, which is changing people’s lives.